The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A wire feeder is generally used in the art of gas metal arc welding (GMAW), sometimes referred to by its subtypes, metal inert gas (MIG) welding or metal active gas (MAG) welding. GMAW is a semi-automatic or automatic arc welding process in which a consumable welding wire (or wire electrode) and a shield gas are continuously fed through a welding apparatus, such as a welding torch, to a workpiece, where an arc welding process is conducted. The wire feeder is connected to the welding apparatus to continuously supply the welding wire from a wire spool of the wire feeder to the welding apparatus.
A power source supplies a welding current through the wire feeder to the welding apparatus. The workpiece is connected to the power source so that the power source, the wire feeder, the welding apparatus, and the workpiece together establish a welding circuit. Accordingly, the welding wire that passes through the welding apparatus is a part of the welding circuit. An electrical arc is thus generated across a gap between the welding wire and the workpiece to melt the welding wire, which then becomes the weld deposit.
The shield gas is supplied from an external shield gas source through the wire feeder to the welding apparatus and is directed to the workpiece. The shield gas surrounds the portion of the welding wire that exits the welding apparatus to protect the welding area from atmospheric gases, which can cause fusion defects, porosity and weld metal embrittlement when in contact with the welding wire, the arc, or the welding metal.
Generally, a wire feeder from one manufacturer is tailored for a specific type of welding apparatus from the same manufacturer. The welding apparatus includes a gas passage and a conduit for passage of the welding wire, which are in communication with counterpart passages in the wire feeder. Accordingly, a wire feeder from one manufacturer is not directly compatible with a welding apparatus from another manufacturer, given the different geometric and electrical configurations of the welding apparatuses among different manufacturers. Therefore, since the welding apparatus and the wire feeder operate together, downtime often occurs when one of them is out of service and an available welding apparatus or wire feeder is not compatible with the wire feeder or the welding apparatus that is working. Moreover, adapting a welding apparatus from one manufacturer with a wire feeder from another manufacturer is often cumbersome and requires significant manual labor to properly maintain each of the gas and electrical connections.